VHTS Gi Review

VHTS Gi Review

​VHTS was founded in 2013 in New York City. As fellow competitors we were intrigued with the creation of kimonos and wanted to a high end product of kimonos at affordable prices. Each series of Kimono has been custom made at a limited number so as to give each kimono a unique and one of a kind feel. Just as armor was worn by knights to not only protect but also to represent their where they were from; we look to do the same with our line of kimonos.

​

At VHTS our goal is to combine modern designs with traditional styles. We want to bring a fun and unique artistic approach and combine it with a high quality dependable craftsmanship that can withstand the rigorous routine of training and competing. As practitioners ourselves we understand the importance of the kimono and how it is an extension of the martial artist.

I don’t remember how I came across VHTS but I reached out to Gi Tak, the owner of VHTS, and got to know him a little bit and asked him about his company and how it was founded etc. Gi Tak was super friendly and answered any and all questions I had regarding VHTS and more. After a few conversations about general banter we started talking about getting thigs reviewed.

After an initial sizing mishap on my part, Gi tak immediately sent out another gi in the correct size as well as a rash guard.

The friendliness/customer service is outstanding from VHTS and I couldn’t be happier to get to know Gi Tak as well. Genuine guy who cares about not only Jiu Jitsu but the people around him as well. Without further adieu, here is our findings on the VHTS kimono…

Jacket Details

550G pearl weave pre-shrunk 100% cotton with grey/black accents

A label on the lapel to write your name/affiliation

Rip stop lined EVA Foam collar

Custom cuff taping

Two color outside lapel taping

Embroidered logos

Custom patches

IMG_5780 copy

IMG_5795 copy

IMG_5800 copy

IMG_5791 copy

IMG_5789 copy

IMG_5786 copy

IMG_5772 copy

IMG_5785 copy

IMG_5797 copy

IMG_5799 copy

IMG_5792 copy

IMG_5788 copy

IMG_5781 copy

IMG_5761 copy

IMG_5794 copy

IMG_5798 copy

IMG_5790 copy

IMG_5793 copy

IMG_5787 copy

IMG_5783 copy

Pants Details

White pre-shrunk Ripstop fabric with grey/black accents

Reinforced pearl weave gusset

Improved draw string

Custom satin patches

IMG_5762 copy

IMG_5766 copy

IMG_5772 copy

IMG_5776 copy

IMG_5775 copy

IMG_5763 copy

IMG_5769 copy

IMG_5771 copy

IMG_5779 copy

IMG_5774 copy

IMG_5764 copy

IMG_5770 copy

IMG_5773 copy

IMG_5778 copy

Jacket Overview

The VHTS jacket was stiff at first but after a few washes it became more soft. Now it’s not that soft but it is softer than when it originally came. The Pearl weave is very rough on the outside but softer on the inside which is obviously the perfect combination.

The collar and inside of the skirt is lined with ripstop with the bottom of the skirt and jacket cuffs being double stitched.
Outside of the collar, which is a very stiff collar, is a woven taping that is half black and half grey that meets on the back of the collar smack dab in the middle of it. There is no purpose besides being an original design concept. You can see where the grey material barely comes out from under the black though.

The cuffs also have a custom woven taping that has a salmon, blue, grey, and black striped design to it.

The embroidery is very cleanly done and tasteful. The right arm has a grey box with the companies letters “VHTS” while the left sleeve has an upside down triangle that resembles islander tribalism with “NYC” and “VHTS inside of it. The patches that accompany the gi are woven and are not scratchy in any way and have some original designs to them not usually seen in the gi world.

The most unique feature of the jacket is the label on the bottom of the lapel. It is a label for you to write your name and affiliation on. You see a lot of people with the same gi’s on and they have to write their name on the lapel so no one else takes theirs by mistake, this is a good alternative to that.

Pants Overview

The pants are constructed of ripstop material and feature five belt loops and a triple stitched pearl weave gusset. The outside belt loops are placed right next to one another and the one belt loop in the middle is the same width as one set of the outside belt loops. The side splits have a square reinforcement that goes all the way to the top of the pants tucked under the folded fabric.

The rope style drawstring is one that only one other company that i’ve seen has used. It is the foam drawstring covered in the mesh material and is a thicker rope. It stays tied fairly well.

The pant cuffs feature the same taping as the jacket cuffs and are double stitched as well. The patches on this gi have some originality to them as there is a blank face on the right side of the pants and the left thigh area has a woven satin patch with a few quotes on them.

There is only one extra layer of rip stop fabric for the knee pads and it doesn’t really protect much per say but it’s nice to have.

Fit & Rolling

IMG_7938 copy

IMG_7941 copy

IMG_7939 copy

IMG_7942 copy

IMG_7940 copy

IMG_7943 copy

The fit on the gi is a bit looser in the arms and shorter in the torso region with the jacket. When I was first talking with Gi Tak he did say that the gi had a shorter torso so I was fully aware of it before I received the kimono. The pants are a slimmer fitting pant and are a tad shorter than normal A2 pants. I love my pants shorter so this is of no problem to me as they are still IBJJF legal.

Gi Tak also told me that this gi would not shrink at all. I of course didn’t believe him since I’ve heard that from every gi company out there. I washed it and put it in the dryer to shrink it a little bit and completely forgot it was in there. I started playing with the kids and just lost track of time. It was in there for the full 60 mins and guess what…

It didn’t shrink…not a single inch. WOW.

One of the times I used this gi was for a wrestling practice but with our gi’s on and I had zero problems with the gi being too restrictive or feeling tight in any fast transitions or shots. Since the jacket is a bit short on the skirt it did come out a lot while rolling and was harder to use for lapel chokes.

It would comment on how the gi affects temperature but I can’t really since the top came open so easily. It was a bit cooler because the jacket was open all the time. The pants on the other hand weren’t anything out of the norm when it came to being warmer or cooler. The pearl weave gusset did in fact do it’s job of making arm bars and leg attacks easier by keeping it’s grip while sweaty.

Final Conclusions

The VHTS kimono is priced at $110 before shipping. That’s a very competitive price considering a lot of gi’s are starting at around the $160 mark.

The quality of the gi was outstanding. All of the stitches were nicely done, no invisible stitches in the seams and all of the embroidery was clean. The fit was good for me even though the skirt was a tad short. It is a rough texture on the outside but soft on the inside.

You can see design wise it’s not boasting anything super flashy but it does have design to it. If you’re looking for a new gi that is competitively priced and of good quality then I suggest VHTS. You won’t be disappointed in the kimono or the customer service.